I'd rather let him heal. Why did we go out and sign Jacobs? For moments like these. I'd rather Gore sit this one out. Sure you can play through rib injury as a WR. Its much different when you have 300 lbs DTs falling on you play after play. Why risk making it worst? I don't see the point.

No, VD is our biggest offensive weapon. I love Gore, but I believe Hunter can get the job done, with some Jacobs sprinkled in. We're one of the most effective run teams in the league. Even without Gore, I think we have enough to keep the ground game going well. Jacobs looked great in pre-season. And the way this O-Line is run-blocking, Jacobs should thrive inside the tackles. Gore is still Gore, but this running game is much more diverse and we have talent behind him now that we haven't had in the past. Nothing wrong with leaning on that talent while giving Frank time to recuperate.

Gore is our biggest offensive weapon overall. Davis is our biggest offensive weapon in the passing game but since that's non-existent, Gore easily wins by default.

I would make sure that Gore is active, start Jacobs and also activate James as well as Hunter. See how the game goes early. If we cant get the running game going with them three, then I would play Gore. If those three players play good, then I wouldnt put Gore in the game. All depends on how the game goes.

Cardinals have no running game, a horrible OL and if we double Fitz (with both defenders not paying attention to anything but Fitz), we should have a field day on defense against Skelton.

On a side note, anyone here willing to take a chance on ex-Ravens OLB Sergio Kindle and release Haggans or not worth the time?

If you go one game without a pass tossed your way, you are not the biggest weapon. If that were true, they'd be force-feeding him.

Meh, if it wasn't Gore, it be Hunter or some other back getting the yards/carries. VD is a weapon. It's not his fault the his QB can't get it done. He's the focal point of every defense we face. He's a walking mis-match the minute he steps on the field. The run game is more dependent on a good line than a good back, IMO. Gore is great but he needs a lot of help upfront in order to do his job. No TE in the league dictates coverage like VD. That alone makes him a weapon like no other and the most important one on this team. His presence alone allows others to get open so even when he's not catching passes, he is wreaking havoc. Now that's a weapon!

VD is overrated because of his ridiculous postseason performance last year. He has drop issues, especially true last year, and he still isn't great at running routes. I like him and he is probably a top five TE but he isn't as great as some people make him out to be

Yeah, start a guy that hasn't gotten a carry all season when Hunter is healthy. Makes sense.

I would start Jacobs because he's the same type of back as Gore where as Hunter is the change of pace back. Either way, it doesnt matter. The Rams and Cardinals lost today. If we beat the Cardinals and SEA loses next week, we'll be up three games going into the bye. I'll be so happy!!! :)

VD is overrated because of his ridiculous postseason performance last year. He has drop issues, especially true last year, and he still isn't great at running routes. I like him and he is probably a top five TE but he isn't as great as some people make him out to be

He isn't 'great' as opposed to whom? The only knock that anyone can put on VD is he doesn't possess the prototypical height that you look for in a TE to be a true red-zone target. 6'3 is on the short side for TEs. Drops? He drops some....no more or no less than all the other elite TEs. If he played with a QB who could actually produce better outside the hashes and downfield, defense wouldn't be able to bottle him up with junk coverages so easily and he would have the stats to match his effectiveness, then everyone would sing his praises. He's not a natural pass catcher but he's worked on his hands and his drops are nowhere near the issue they were when he first came into the league. And he's the best blocking TE for my money. Great in line, as well as out on the edge and on traps and bang blocks. It's rare you ever see VD get beat on a block, even when blocking DEs in line and even out in space. What he did against Joey Porter back when he led the NFL in sacks as a Dolphin a few years ago is still the best blocking performance I've ever seen from a TE. He is a rare blend of strength and speed at the position.

Sorry, Dan. Gore and Jacobs' running styles aren't all that similar. James probably runs the most like Gore, but he doesn't share the size. Brandon Jacobs isn't a hole hitter.

They're both power runners who go up the middle. Gore has better cutting ability but then again, he's smaller than Jacobs. James? James is small and from the videos I have seen on youtube, he seems like another Hunter type back. Quick, fast and finesse where as Gore and Jacobs are power first and foremost.

As long as we win, I dont care who starts against the Cardinals and considering that Peterson had his best game against them, we should have a field day. Team better not have a letdown. I'll be so pissed.

They're both power runners who go up the middle. Gore has better cutting ability but then again, he's smaller than Jacobs. James? James is small and from the videos I have seen on youtube, he seems like another Hunter type back. Quick, fast and finesse where as Gore and Jacobs are power first and foremost.

As long as we win, I dont care who starts against the Cardinals and considering that Peterson had his best game against them, we should have a field day. Team better not have a letdown. I'll be so pissed.

LaMichael James runs between the tackles better than Brandon Jacobs. People see James' size and speed and think he's an outside runner. He isn't really.

LaMichael James runs between the tackles better than Brandon Jacobs. People see James' size and speed and think he's an outside runner. He isn't really.

This. That's why I cant wait to see Hunter and LMJ split some carries once Gore is done. People think they're the same kind of back because they're similar in statue but they will compliment each other so well.

We'll see how James does. He might be dynamic, but ehh...for some reason I'm not that sold on him. Of course that isn't that fair since the sample size is small. I just don't have a good feeling for some reason.

This team is usually deadly with more than a week to prepare. Every time we've had more than a week to prepare under Harbaugh, we've won (Bye weeks, season openers, playoffs, the game after a Thursday, etc). Tallying it all up, the 49ers are 5-0 with more than a week to prepare. Now we get a MNF game after a TNF game (mini-bye) and then the actual bye week.

Ideally, this would come out to 2 extra wins. With both those divisional rivals, we could really seperate ourselves if we take care of business.

I'll be at this upcoming game and would prefer to see Gore play, even in a timeshare, as he always seems to have a big game against AZ. Also, Vernon Davis should be back involved this week. Can't wait for Monday night!

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Tomsula in as HC after the "Harbacle"
Operation 2015 Super Bowl Champions: In progress, with much work to be done

Some of this is Smith's fault but I think a lot of people don't seem to understand how a quarterback's progressions work. A lot of times a receiver will come open after the QB has already progressed past him and QBs rarely have time to go back through their progression. I am pretty sure that Davis is probably the first option in most of our pass plays, or at least he should be, so Smith will look at him first. If he isn't open when Smith looks at him he goes to the next receiver in the progression. When Smith used to lock on to his first target and just hope he got open he was criticized for it. Now he quickly goes through his progression and is still criticized for it. On two of the first three plays in that article the 49ers gained good yardage because of it.

The endzone interception was unquestionably terrible but the play the article describes before that was blown way out of proportion. He slides less than a full stride to his left and, judging by direction he was facing right when he got the ball, the play was designed to go somewhere to the left of the field. He slides to get a better view of the part of the field he is supposed to be going to.

The amount of missed big plays is almost sickening? The article only breaks down a handful of plays and most of them are completions for decent to good yardage